A hit batter and a wild pitch sabotaged the ninth inning on closer Carlos Martinez and invited the Dodgers to get more runs with the final swing of the game than either team had produced in the previous 64 at-bats. Russell Martin skipped a game-winning single up the middle to yank the Cardinals’ one-run lead into a 2-1 walk-off victory, LA’s 10th of the season. Martin’s hit came with two outs, two strikes, two runners on, and after two meetings on the mound for the Cardinals. The Dodgers proved too much for them in a series sweep.
“The lack of execution in the ninth, that’s what stands out,” manager Mike Shildt said, tersely.